


We few, we happy few

by amaresu



Series: A Break In Time [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), Doctor Who (Big Finish Audio)
Genre: Community: intoabar, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-12
Updated: 2013-12-12
Packaged: 2018-01-04 10:18:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1079813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amaresu/pseuds/amaresu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charley Pollard walks into a bar and meets... Moira Queen!</p>
            </blockquote>





	We few, we happy few

Charley pushes through the door to the bar. It isn't her usual sort of place, but she's meeting a contact and they'd said to come here. She isn't fond of the Time Agency at the best of times and this isn't the best of times, but she has little choice. She isn't sure if 'Beggers Can't Be Choosers' or 'Rats In A Sinking Ship' is more appropriate, but the end result is meeting someone she'd rather not in a place she'd rather not. The bar is typical of the area, run down and smelling of stale liquor, with sticky floors. It never seems to fail, the worst places in the universe get the prettiest names; and the Glades is no exception.

Looking around the tables are mostly full, one or two are empty, but the bar is the perfect spot to wait. The mirror behind the bar is seemingly the only clean spot in the entire place, showing both the entire room perfectly. She looks at the glasses as she walks to the bar, they're watered down at best, lacking in actual beer at worst, pointing to the owner knowing which side of the law the clientele tended to be on. It may be smelly, but it's a good choice for her meeting. She sits down next to the only other woman in the place; someone who looks as out of place as Charley wants to appear. Sitting next to her should provide good camouflage for when the Time Agent shows up. 

The woman is well dressed in the understated upper class way that goes through every culture Charley's ever visited. The bulky man standing against the wall next to the bar is clearly her very nervous bodyguard, providing more proof that this woman isn't a regular. The woman is staring forlornly into a glass of wine that was probably more vinegar than anything else as Charley sits down. Ignoring the confused look on the woman's face she signals the bartender, “Whiskey, neat.”

“That's an unusual drink for a woman,” the woman comments after the bartender leaves the drink.

Charley sips it and winces at the terrible quality of whiskey, “Amelia Earhart's favorite.”

“Really?” The woman looks skeptical, but holds out her hand anyway, “Moira Queen.”

“Little known fact about the her.” She takes the hand and gives it a firm shake, “Charlotte Pollard.”

Moira smiles before asking, “Whiskey any good?”

“Probably about as good as your wine to be perfectly honest,” Charley doesn't really have time to be getting into other people's business, but she's never been able to stop herself with people who look as lost as Moira. “You don't look like someone who comes to this type of place.”

She lets it hang there, a statement not a question and one that Moira can ignore if she chooses. Instead Moira chuckles bitterly, the type of laugh Charley knows all too well after all these years, “My son discovered something I've been doing and doesn't approve. I know he'll tell my daughter if I don't stop it and then I'll lose them both.”

It's a vague sort of statement, but these things generally are, she isn't the Doctor and people don't spill their every secret to her on a whim, “Is he right to disapprove?”

“Yes, yes he is.” Moira doesn't pause before saying it, just spits it out and gulps the rest of her wine. The twist of her lips says it's just as bad as Charley thought it would be.

“That makes it easy,” Charley can see the door of the bar opening in the mirror behind the bar and her Time Agent walks in heading for one of the few empty tables, “You can stop what your doing or lose your children.”

“It's not that simple,” Moira says, but she says it like it's something she's said a million times. Something that she doesn't question, just repeats without thinking through the words.

“Isn't it?” Charley swirls her whiskey in the cup and pretends to drink some as she watches Moira's expression change. Like a light bulb going on.

Moira smiles at her and gathers her coat, much to the obvious relief of the bodyguard, “You're right Charlotte. Thank you.”

Charley salutes her with her glass and watches as she walks out the door before making her way over to the Time Agent. There is still business to be done.


End file.
